


when you smiled and said to me (are you gonna kiss me or not)

by Bellakitse



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Alex Manes Week 2019, Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Liz/Alex friendship, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2020-02-26 23:27:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18727009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bellakitse/pseuds/Bellakitse
Summary: “My biochemistry partner asked about you again.”Alex Manes meets bioengineering singing cowboy while at UNM.Liz is an awesome wing woman.-College AU





	when you smiled and said to me (are you gonna kiss me or not)

**Author's Note:**

> For Alex Manes week 2019 over at tumblr. 
> 
> Day 2: Alternate Universe (AU)
> 
> *  
> *  
> *  
> There might be a second part to this because I touched on things I would like to explore further, we'll see.

 

 

Alex Manes is sitting on one of the benches outside the Arts and Science building waiting for his friend Liz to come out. Holding on to a cup of coffee but he doesn’t drink it. Instead, Alex lets the cup warm his hands and hopes that warmth will chase away the cold his last lecture left inside him.

When he decided to go into Family and Child studies, he knew that eventually, he’d have to sit through a course on child abuse and neglect. He’d thought he was ready for it, but the three-hour lecture had left him feeling raw, every example his professor spoke of felt like a retelling of Alex’s childhood. As he sat there, his whole body tense, he’d felt like all eyes where on him, like everyone in the lecture hall could see the cracks and breaks he works so hard to hide.

“My biochemistry partner asked about you again.”

Alex looks up and finds his friend smiling down at him as she comes to stand in front of him. Alex blinks rapidly in hopes that it will clear his sudden cloudy vision. The way Liz frowns tells him he isn’t successful.

“What’s wrong?” Liz asks as she takes a seat next to him.

“Nothing,” Alex smiles at her or he tries to at least, but it feels tight and fake on his face so he can only imagine what it looks like.

Liz raises an eyebrow at that. “Alex Manes,” she starts, lets his name hang between them like a warning. “Tell me what’s wrong, or I’m calling Maria, putting her on speaker phone, and we’ll both get it out of you.”

Alex lets out a tired chuckle at the threat or promise since he’s sure she _will_ call Maria and between the two of them there nothing they can’t get out of him. His two best friends are relentless like that, it doesn’t even matter that Maria is still back in Roswell while Liz and him at in Albuquerque at UNM. They always get what they want.

“We started child abuse and neglect in my Child Advocacy course today,” he says with a casual shrug when Liz’s face tightens. “It hit a little too close to home, you know.”

Liz nods softly because of course, she knows. More than once growing up she helped clean him up after one of his father’s ‘discipline’ sessions, more than once he slept in her bed when he couldn’t bear to go home. Liz circles her slim arms around him, and Alex goes willingly, smiling more sincerely at the warmth and affection he finds there.

Pulling back, her hands go to his face holding him in place as she looks straight into his eyes.  “You are special, you are exactly who you are supposed to be, there is nothing wrong with you, you are loved,” she tells him. Alex lets out a calming breath as she says the mantra his therapist had gotten him to repeat to himself when his past trauma gets the best of him. Grateful for the reminder, he nods at her.

Where life had fucked him over in the family department, it had made amends in the friendship department.

"Thank you, sweetheart," He says softly as he leans his forehead to rest against hers, smiling back when she gives him a bright smile of her own. "What were you saying about your partner?"

 _"Oh!"_ Liz exclaims her eyes lighting up as she remembers. "My biochemistry partner was asking about you!"

Alex frowns confused a bit, he wasn't part of the science crowd at all. So who the hell knew who Liz's biochemistry partner was. "Okay?"

Liz rolls her eyes at him, letting out a huff.

 _"Alex,"_ She starts off slowly, earning herself a small glare in return at the condescending tone. "My very good looking -dresses like a cowboy- genius science partner asked me about the hot guy in the leather jacket who always walks me to class is and if said hot guy is _single_.” Liz finishes in a rush, her smile bigger if possible.

“Liz,” he warns, already knowing where this is going.

“He’s hot, Alex,” Liz proclaims, her eyes widening for effect. “Not my type but totally yours and he thinks you’re hot.”

“I have no idea who you’re talking about.”

Liz rolls her eyes at him again. “Sure you do, the guy is hard to miss, cowboy hat, tight jeans that look painted on, curls, he told me he shares a music course with you, his name is Michael Guerin.”

Alex startles at the name, because _yeah_ , he does know who she’s talking about now, Michael Guerin is in his music composition course. A total cowboy like Liz said, from the hat to the boots and the large belt buckle in between that should be ridiculous and instead always leaves Alex feeling hot and flushed around his neck. More than that Michael has honey-colored curls and eyes that remind Alex of liquid amber, always warm when they lock with Alex’s, lingering.

“Music composition,” he gruffs out, coughing to clear his suddenly dry throat. Michael has been asking about him? He thinks he’s hot?

“What did he say?” he asks unable to help himself, blushing when Liz smirks at him.

“Interested, are you,” she says knowingly.

“Liz,” he whines, his face feeling hotter by the second.

Liz laughs, as she leans in to give him another hug in an apology of her gentle teasing. “Sorry, just messing with you a little. He said that you share a class and that he likes how you play guitar, that he’s wanted to talk to you but that you always run out of class.”

“I have psych across campus. I either run, or I don’t get there on time, and the professor locks the door,” he explains, still rosy cheek at the lasts information.

“Professor Williamson right?” Liz asks, wrinkling her nose. “The guy’s an ass.”

“Yeah.”

“Anyway,” Liz continues easily. “I guess he’s seen us together, because well we’re attached to the hip.”

“You’re needy,” Alex teases, laughing when she lets out a dramatic gasp.

“I am your best friend, the light of your life, your sunshine on a cloudy day!” Liz proclaims loudly, drawing the eyes of more than one of their peers as they walk by them.

“You’re loud, is what you are,” Alex answers, laughing as she gives him a pout. “And everything else you said too, best friend, the light of my life, sunshine.”

“The wind beneath your wings,” Liz grins, wiggling her eyebrows.

Alex snorts at that, nodding at her. “Sure, you can be my Bette Midler.”

Liz grins. “I’ve officially peaked then, life doesn’t get better if I’m Bette.”

Alex shakes his head. “Anything else about the cowboy?”

“Interested,” Liz repeats, singsong, laughing when Alex just shoots her another look. “I told him we’re just friends and that yes you are single, he smiled, and then he mentioned that bar in town, the one you were talking about with the open mic?”

“Lizard tail brewing,” Alex answers for her, nodding in agreement when Liz wrinkles her nose at the name.

“Well there is an open mic tonight, and he said he’d be there. Hint hint,” she finishes, poking at his side with her index finger.

“Hmm,” Alex hums quietly and say nothing else for a moment, curbing his smirk, as Liz gets more and more restless the longer he stays quiet.

“Oh my god, Alex Manes,” she finally exclaims, letting out a deep breath as if she had been holding it in, waiting for him to make a decision. “Don’t make me drag you there, because I will!”

“Geez, Liz, relax,” he says, raising his hands in a mocking gesture, chuckling when she gives him a dirty look. “You need to unwind, we should get a beer tonight.”

“Brat,” Liz murmurs but smiles when Alex throws his arms around her, pulling her in for another hug. “Lucky for you, I love you, so let's go get you a cowboy.”

Alex shakes his head. “I said beer, I said nothing about a getting a cowboy.”

Liz shrugs as she stands and pulls him along. “We can do both, it’s call multitasking, come along Manes we only have a few hours to get you into your tightest emo rock jeans.”

***

They get to the bar around 8 p.m. there’s already a decent crowd, but they manage to get a small high table near the small stage on the left corner of the bar.

Liz places her jacket over the back of her seat. “You watch our table while I go get our drinks, the first fleet is on me.”

Alex nods as he takes off his own jacket, revealing a snug maroon sweater that he’d paired with the skinniest jeans he and Liz found in his closet, they felt painted on but made his ass look great according to Liz.

Liz looks him over with a smirk, taking in the outfit and his lightly lined eyes. “You’re sex on legs Manes, I almost feel sorry for Michael.”

Alex blushes but laughs at her comment. “Go get the alcohol, Liz.”

Liz nods, laughing as she walks away.

Alex sits down and looks around the place, the place is a dive, but it reminds him of the wild pony, making him comfortable. He sees a few people look his way in interest and it relaxes him some more.

Surveying the room some more he finds what he came looking for, a few feet away, closer to the bar Michael Guerin sits with his guitar case next to him, a beer in his hand and his focus entirely on Alex.

Alex stares back, he looks the way he always looks at Michael, only now with the knowledge that Michael has been watching him too, it’s heady to know that the guy he’s been crushing on for months is interested back. He tilts his head and gives the boy a soft smile as he signals him to come closer, his smile widening when Michael stands and starts walking towards him.

Still sitting Alex smiles up at him when Michael stands right in front of him, closer than they should for two people who have never really spoken before. Alex isn’t bothered by it though, the tension feels electric between them, and it just increases as Alex gives Michael a once over, approving once more of the other boy’s styles. Licking his lips, he looks up at him, grinning when Michael’s eyes focus on his mouth.

“Hey, cowboy,” he starts with a grin. “I heard you’ve been asking about me.”

Michael shrugged as he takes a step closer and Alex spreads his legs so Michael can step between them, swallowing hard when he does just that. “You always run out of class. As nice as your backside is, I figured it was time to get to know other parts of you.”

Alex laughs at the bold comment, flustered but impressed by the direct approach. “You going to sing for me?” he asks pointing at the guitar case.

Michael looks down at the case and then back at Alex, grinning. “I’m going to charm the pants off you.”

“Who says you haven’t already?” Alex asks as he places a finger on Michael’s belt and tugs it gently to see if Michael will come.

Michael goes more than willingly, their fronts all but pressed together.

“Yeah?” Michael breathes as he places his hands on Alex’s shoulder.

Alex’s places his own hands at Michael’s waist. “I’ve heard you play before Michael, I always watch you, I just didn’t know until today, until Liz told me, that you were watching me too.”

“I can’t look away, Alex,” Michael says softly, gently as he moves his hands from Alex’s shoulders to his neck, tilting his head a bit. They stay that way, just looking at each other, Alex can feel his heart squeeze at the tenderness he finds in Michael’s whiskey-colored eyes.

“Are you gonna kiss me or not,” he says after a moment, enjoying the way Michael’s eyes widen, continuing before Michael can react. “By Thompson Square, it’s a good song, you should play that if you know it.”

Michael blinks at him, once, twice, and by the time the words sink in, Alex is grinning so hard his face hurts.

Michael stares at him some more, before letting out a loud laugh. “You’re kind of an ass,” he says still chuckling. “We’re going to be great together.”

Alex laughs too, letting go of him. “Go serenade me, cowboy, and charm the pants off me.”

Michael nods picking up his case and leans in close. “When I finish I’m coming back for that kiss you just teased me with,” he says with a smile that grows as Alex stares at his mouth.

Alex bites down on his smile, his stomach flipping with excitement. “Can’t wait.”

Michael gives him one last smile, before heading for the stage just as Liz comes back to their table.

“The sexual tension,” Liz starts as she places a fleet of beer in front of him. “I stayed by the bar while you guys were talking and I could feel it from there, so what happened?” She asks as she sits.

“Nothing,” Alex says smiling as Michael takes the stage and the crowd lets out a cheer. “He’s going to sing and then,” he trails off as Michael strums the first chords of his request, flashing Alex another grin when their eyes lock.

“And then?” Liz prompts as she looks at the boy on the stage and then back at him.

Alex shrugs happily, grinning. “And then I’m going to kiss me a cowboy.”

**Author's Note:**

> [come say hi, or drop me a prompt!](https://bellakitse.tumblr.com/)


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